Numbers show few golfers take advantage of local associations

NNGA, NNWGA quietly work in the background to make the game more enjoyable

Golfers who belong to clubs know the value of their regional golf associations.

It’s the casual or occasional golfer who might not be quite as aware. And the numbers indicate there are plenty of golfers who fit that mold.

Even to those who belong to clubs, the Northern Nevada Golf Association and Northern Nevada Women’s Golf Association mostly lurk in the background. But what they provide to amateur golf can’t be overlooked or overstated.

And if you are one of those golfers who just enjoys getting out once in a blue moon and usually throws away the scorecard after a round, the governing bodies and area professionals have a message for you: You’re missing out.

“It’s very important,” Rosewood Lakes head pro Bob Forse said. “… It’s a highly professional organization. When they come in and run a tournament, you don’t do anything. They mark the course, score it, handle all the rules. I’m very grateful for their participation. They do everything and I just sit back and look good.”

If you fit into that casual or occasional golfer category, you’re not alone. According the National Golf Foundation, there are about 25.7 million golfers in the U.S. And according to the USGA, about 5 million of them (19.4 percent) keep a handicap. And one must belong to a golf club of some kind — and that includes Internet clubs such as the E-Club of Reno — to be able to maintain a handicap.

That is one of the top functions of a regional golf association, provide access to a handicap, as well as rating courses and conducting USGA events from the U.S. Open qualifier at Genoa Lakes (the 17th annual will be held May 13) to the Reno-Sparks City Championship, which Forse’s course hosts annually (this year, June 8-9).

The USGA and the governing bodies in Northern Nevada believe that handicap percentage is low, and they’re working to bring it up.

“We’re trying to make it more valuable to be a member,” said Steve Rydel, the executive director of the NNGA since 2006 and a Class A PGA professional. “The casual golfer, someone who plays maybe three or four times, it’s hard for them to justify being a member of a club. But anyone who plays more than six times a year should keep a handicap so they can compete with friends. It kind of levels the playing field. …

“Players that track their scores have a tendency to improve their game.”

Costs can vary depending on the club one joins and are generally from about $40 to $250 annually. Individual golf courses pay the NNGA a fee. Rydel said there are about 6,000 NNGA members, down a bit from golf’s heyday, the early 2000s, when it was about 7,500. The Southern Nevada Golf Association has about 10,000 members, according to its website.

The E-Club membership (eclub-reno.ghinclub.com) allows golfers to join a club without joining an individual golf course’s club. It is part of the USGA’s Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN), the largest handicapping system in the U.S. (2.1 million members) and is administered through the NNGA.

The cost to join the E-Club is $50 annually, of which $10 goes to the Northern Nevada Junior Golf Association. E-Club members, as well as all members of clubs under the NNGA umbrella, receive discount coupons. This year’s coupon book contains 19 discounts.

“It’s doing really well,” said Rydel, who pegged the E-Club membership number at about 125. “We’re happy with it, and it’s a really good thing for junior golf.”

The NNGA (nnga.org) also assists golfers with general rules questions and this year will conduct the NIAA Division I and I-A high school state tournaments as well. In recent years there have been incidents involving rules and behavior at the state high school tournaments. Bringing the NNGA on board provides an authoritative presence.

Rydel, whose organization re-rated all the courses in Northern Nevada three years ago, is the third executive director of the NNGA, which began in 1972. John Whalen was the first. His wife, Pam Whalen, took over after his death in 1998.

The NNWGA (nnwga.org), which has been in existence 11 years longer than the NNGA (started in 1961), is also looking for ways to increase its membership, which stands at 1,800, according to executive director Darla Smyth.

“We’re trying to understand what our ladies want with their membership,” said Smyth, who was named the executive director in March after the retirement of longtime director Sharon Schutlze. “It’s about getting a GHIN, but there’s so much more. It’s about meeting other women, the social aspect and learning about the game of golf.”

Smyth said one of her challenges is providing something for every type of woman golfer — the retired golfer who plays regularly, the working mom who can only get out a couple of hours on a weekend and everyone in between.

“Women who join learn the rules of golf, course management and things like pace of play in a friendly, accepting environment,” Smyth said. “The ultimate goal is working on your handicap. You meet ladies and it builds confidence. …

“We want women to have a way to plug in and play socially. And we want to provide our member clubs a vehicle to meet those women’s needs.”